[ NEWS FROM THE WEEK PAST ]
Developer has new plan for West Main site
Developer Marvin Maye has a new plan for his property at 660-668 West Main Street. Maye is seeking permission from the City of Rochester to tear down a historic church and vacant house on the land to construct a grocery store with parking and loading space. Maye initially proposed a Dollar General for the site, but met with resistance from preservationists and residents.
Two local sites nominated for historic lists
First Unitarian Church in Rochester and North Star School No. 11 in the Town of Hamlin have been nominated by Governor Andrew Cuomo for inclusion on the State and National Registers of Historic Places. Being on the list can make property owners eligible for preservation programs and services, such as state and federal tax credits.
Complaint alleges bus station damages
The owner of the H.H. Warner building downtown is suing the Rochester-Genesee Regional Transportation Authority as
well as two local contractors over the new transit center. In the complaint, H. H. Warner LLC says that construction on the center has damaged the Warner building. The transit center is scheduled to open later this year.
News
COMIDA says pay up
The Monroe County Industrial Development Agency filed a lawsuit against EBaum’s Webster Ventures, seeking $297,101 in outstanding payments from a tax incentive deal that COMIDA terminated a few months ago, reported the Democrat and Chronicle. COMIDA says the company hasn’t made required payments since 2012.
Phase two of FMP challenged
A last-minute agreement between Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren and state lawmakers including Assembly member Joe Morelle saved the second phase of the modernization project in the Rochester school district. Funding for the second phase was in jeopardy after Warren said she would not support the bill. Warren says that changes she pushed for have been included in the bill, though it's not yet clear what those changes are.
ROC Transit Day participants can get special deals at some local businesses by showing their fare cards. PHOTO BY MARK CHAMBERLIN
TRANSPORTATION | BY JEREMY MOULE
Seeking bus converts Fans of mass transit often talk about how hard it is to convince people to give public transportation a shot. But for the past few years, some local mass transit advocates have tried to have a little fun with the task. The result is ROC Transit Day, which happens this year on Thursday, June 19. For the event, the Rochester Genesee Regional Transportation Authority provides Reconnect Rochester, the group that organizes ROC Transit Day, with free bus passes. The group distributes the fare
cards to participating businesses, which give them to employees who want to try riding the bus. “We’re targeting people who typically drive and have not used public transit before,” says Mike Governale, president of Reconnect Rochester. As an added incentive, the group has arranged for busker performances at some bus stops, a swing dance on the Rundel library building steps, a treasure hunt with prizes, and other activities. People can also get deals at participating businesses by showing their fare
cards. A list of the businesses and information on the events is available at www.roctransitday.com. ROC Transit Day started in 2011 when Governale and like-minded people got between 50 and 70 people to give the bus system a try. They gave participants a UFO pin; the image was chosen because every $1 spent on gas is a $1 sucked out of the local economy, Governale says. The next year, the RGRTA got involved and began providing complementary fare cards. And 152 people participated in ROC Transit Day in 2012, Governale says.
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